Between Kyle’s rockstar wine distribution business and Nicole's roller derby antics, we have an awesome life. However, we also have struggled with weight and healthy life issues. Join us in our fight to be healthier people! Ninjas Unite!

Friday, February 26, 2010

Yesterday I had a victory, and a defeat, all wrapped up in one. Everyone who has gained weight has another thing in common- they all buy some clothes that just don't quite fit and think "Oh, when I lose the weight, I'll get into these." I am no exception. I have had a pair of pants in the bottom drawer of our dresser that I bought when we lived in Boston. I just knew that some day, I would be able to wiggle back into them.

Yesterday, it happened. It took a bit of huffing, puffing, and sucking it in, but I was able to fit into the pants. Victory. However, I took one look at them and realized they were out of style. Defeat. Yep, I was able to put on a dark brown pair of cargo pants. Now, I'm sorry if you are a cargo pants fan, or regular wearer. Please be advised that they are out of style. Nicole took one look at them, and told me I was never allowed to wear them outside of the house.

Oh well, I guess they'll be fine for yard work. Another good thing in all of this- I left the price tag on them. Yeah, I paid $6.99 for them at Old Navy. Victory.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

This morning, I found myself in a funny little quandry. I have been using the GNLD Protein shakes for breakfast just about daily. I know that I sort of blasted them at the beginning of Ninja Fingers, but I have gotten used to them, and actually crave them every once in a while. My recommendation is a scoop of vanilla, a scoop of Chocolate, add skim milk, three icecubes, and just a touch (a tsp maybe) of organic peanut butter. Not bad, not bad at all.

Today however, it just wasn't what I wanted. My workouts have increased in difficulty, and I was really wanting "real food" this morning. Now, my mother and my wife will both attest to the fact that I am the type of guy that will eat anything, at anytime of the day. I don't see the point in labelling foods as being solely for "breakfast" "lunch" or "dinner". That's discriminatory. If a bowl of cereal is your dinner, I'm not going to judge. If you want leftover chinese for breakfast, it doesn't bother me a bit. (One side note, there are foods that just should never be shared with another person. In particular, Milk, Orange Juice, and Cereal...but that's another thought for another day.) I say equal opportunity for all foods, regardless of color, spiciness, or egg content. Dang, I hope I'm not turning Democrat. I digress.

As I opened our now fairly well stocked refrigerator, the only leftovers I saw were the Weight Watchers Tuna Casserole from last night, and some salsa that I made on Tuesday. What happened? Well, North met South, and collided in my mouth. The Tuna Casserole dish is okay- very oniony. The salsa added some heat that it desperately needed. Throw on top of that about 3 cups of Kaldi coffee, and you have a true breath bomb. Stinky as it is, it was delicious, and just what the morning called for.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

I really didn’t want to post today because I have some disappointing news. Kyle is still doing very well, but I on the other hand am not. Because I decided to rest from exercise last week, due to my head cold, I gained 2 lbs. Bummer. Alright, so it was more that the no exercise. We’ve had chips and salsa in the house since Saturday and I thought it would be okay to partake in them here and there. Wrong! There was also the dorm room dinner on Monday (check out www.sippinstl.blogspot.com for the details), which was NOT the ninja-fingers way and I couldn’t help myself when it came to eating all the food put in front of me that night. Oh, and I can’t forget last night’s social salsa night with our community group. A few chips….well, maybe a little more than a few, a couple of taquitos and some pizza rolls later I was full and irritated with myself. The taquitos weren’t a problem but the pizza rolls were right in front of me and it was so easy to just pop them in my mouth while chatting. I love biting into them and tasting the cheese and greasy crust all in one. I don’t even know how many I had. So here I am with the goal of being under 200 by our next weigh in and I now have to lose 4 lbs in the next two weeks. It’s totally doable and still healthy; I’m just disappointed in myself for cutting loose. But that’s what this is all about, our ups and downs. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t have some slip ups here and there. So today it was a protein shake for breakfast, orange and some peanuts for snack, leftovers for lunch, kick my butt workout with the mean lady this evening, and weight watcher tuna casserole for dinner. Day by day, that’s how I’ll take it the next few weeks.

Today I did my weekly weigh-in. I was pleasantly surprised that, even after having pizza on Friday, a party on Saturday, and eating like a bear about to hibernate on Monday, I had still lost 2 pounds this week. It actually scared me a little bit, as I know that I can't keep coming up with excuses to cheat on the program, and be successful. However, it reinforces the fact that the whole "calories in versus calories burned" is how our bodies work. I have had several really good workouts lately, and I think that's what has saved me.

We continue to thank God for sustaining us, and helping us plod forward, even when we don't want to.

This week, we have discovered that the free-range chickens from Trader Joe's are pretty dang good. Even though I like supporting the local ones from Greenwood Farms, they tend to be smaller and a bit tougher than the ones from Trader Joe's (not to mention more expensive). Nicole mentioned that the reason for this is likely because the ones from Greenwood have been frozen, while the others have not. It's a weird dilemma to be in- do we support the local place with the lesser quality, or do we support the national chain with higher quality and better prices?

Man, I can't wait for spring and summer to get here. I want to get outside and play!

Monday, February 22, 2010

This last weekend was a pretty good one for both me and Nicole. We spent our main "cheat" calories on Friday night by eating a small Bucktown pizza from Pi, one of the fantastic places in STL. Saturday, I had to work and Nicole worked on the house quite a bit, and I had "the boys" over on Saturday night. The worst thing eaten there was a few twizzlers. Sunday was also a fairly healthy day, and we both feel good about ourselves, and our progress right now.

Tonight is gonna be rough.

We are headed out to one of my favorite things to do each month- the Dorm Room dinner series at 33 wine bar. The concept behind this thing is that, once a month, a local chef takes over the wine bar(which doesn't have a kitchen), and makes a 5 course meal. The rub is that the chef only uses implements to cook that would be allowed in a dorm room- toaster ovens, hot plates, microwaves, etc. It has become an increasingly popular night out amongst the Saint Louis dining scene. Last month, I gave up our hard-to-get reservations in the name of our household budget and our slowly slimming waistlines. Tonight, I couldn't pass.

The reason I couldn't pass is because the chef tonight is Gerard Craft, one of the most talented chefs in the city, and a guy I consider to be a friend. Simply put, this will be an incredible meal and will likely contain pieces of delicious pig, and also foie gras.

Yep, I'm going to blow it tonight, but tomorrow, it will be back in the dojo in the basement for an extra 30 minutes on the bike after my workout.

Friday, February 19, 2010

If you have been following this thing since the beginning, or have even read the "Why Ninja Fingers" thing on the side, you know what I'm talking about. I have been unable to take my wedding ring off for almost 2 years, as the result of gained weight. Today that changed. My first goal in starting this thing was to lose enought BMI to be able to take my ring off. Today, that happened! This really confirms that we are doing something healthy, and that our efforts are succeeding. I now need to make another short term goal. My medium range goal is to be at 285 lbs by July 1.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Head colds are not fun. As Kyle mentioned the other day, we went to Kansas for a wedding this weekend. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip because we drove over on Saturday, spent a few hours with Kyle’s parents, brother, and his family, then it was off to the wedding at 3 to catch the ceremony at 4, didn’t get back til 12:30, and then sleep. We then woke up, got dressed, and went to have a birthday/valentines brunch with my sister and brother in-law. (which was awesome by the way! Thank you sister, it was so sweet!) After eating we picked up a chair said our goodbyes and headed back to Kyle’s parents to grab a smoker, and lawn supplies. We were making great time home and then the blizzard started. Because we had borrowed the truck that we were driving we had to be extra careful as to not crash and burn in the snow. So we went slower than normal on the highway. When we finally got home, we unloaded the tuck and then headed to our friends house to swap out the truck for our car and pick up our dogs. We got in the door and hit the pillow to get some rest. Phew! So then I woke up sick on Monday. Stuffy and exhausted are not a good combo. We had a meeting for church community group leaders at our house on Monday night and then I woke up on Tuesday morning even more tired and sicker. So I decided to listen to my body and take a sick day to rest. Now, what does this have anything to do with Ninja fingers? Well, I overate last week. It was my birthday and I celebrated. I ate an order of truffle fries and almost the entire plate of food at the wedding on Saturday, and there was yummy stromboli for brunch on Sunday. I am not certain that my feeling bad is connected to me eating badly last week, but I have gotten back in the saddle and am on the mend. I’m back to drinking shakes in the morning, which I honestly enjoy, leftovers for lunch, and healthy weight watcher recipes for dinner. Even though I am still under the weather, I like the fact that our food is helping my body and not hindering.

My goal for the next two weeks is to first get better, and then weigh less than 200 pounds. I am currently at 202, which means that I have now officially lost 10 pounds since we started and I have a few pounds to go to reach my first short term goal. Yay ninjas!

Prepare to be jealous. Yesterday, through the power of the internet (more specifically, Craigslist) I traded some wine samples for an exercise bike. Yep, you read that correctly. I found a very nice lady online that was willing to trade me a newer exercise bike for a handful of bottles of wine. Why did I trade up, and cast off the Schwinn model #000001 that I was previously using? First of all, this bike is much more comfortable. Even though my frame is slowly slimming, I'm still a big dude. The old bike was really uncomfortable to ride- it was too small, and was actually how I hurt my knee in the first place over a year ago. Secondly, the new bike has this newfangled thing called a digital timer. No more turning the timer past 5 minutes, and waiting for the "Ding" to tell me when I'm done working out! This one also does amazing feats like tracking distance, speed, and calories burned! Who would have thunk it...I have moved from 1960 to 1990 in my technology! Finally, this one is quiet. The old bike made so much noise you could hear it on the second story of the house, when I was riding in the basement. The dogs have nothing to fear on this bike.

Oh, I'll miss the ol' Schwinn. Up until the trash man carries it away.

Monday, February 15, 2010

As you all know, Thursday was Nicole's birthday. We "cheated" quite a bit by going out for pizza, and getting popcorn at the movie. However, we each only had 2 slices (in the past, we would have crushed the entire pizza, no problem). Because it was a birthday, we didn't feel too guilty about it. Friday was a bit tougher. I had to run some errands in the morning, and then ended up eating lunch at home. I had eaten a ham sandwich just about every day for lunch that week, so that wasn't sounding appetizing. The only thing else there for lunch was....the leftover pizza. I ate two slices, and it was gone. At least now the temptation was out of the house. Dinner consisted of a salad at Pi (yep, that's right- I went to one of my favorite places in town, and only got a salad.) Win.

This last weekend, we travelled to Kansas City. On our way, we stopped at Chick-fil-A for breakfast. Fail. My fingers are still swollen from all the salt. Thank God our families realize our plight- Mom had fresh fruit set out for us, and a moderately healthy lunch of italian beef and sauteed veggies. We slipped up again when we were waiting between the ceremony and reception for a wedding we were at, and tried an order of Truffle Fries at Blanc. Amazing. Not healthy. At the wedding dinner, we controlled ourselves, but still ate a large portion of the food that was served to everyone (breaded pork chops, pasta, and veggies.) The next day, it was a protein shake for breakfast, a small serving of stromboli for lunch (Home made- thanks Lindsay, it was delicious!) and then back on the road. It is amazingly hard to eat well on the road. We stopped at a gas station, and all I could find that was moderately acceptable was a bag of peanuts and bottled water.

This week, we have both vowed to get "back on the wagon". I will continue to try to get 5 workouts in, and Nicole will continue to try to take the stairs every day at work.

This gettin' healthy thing is a stressful balancing act of trying to live life, and trying to be good!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Some people have asked me if I am still taking the stairs at work and I would love to give them a solid yes, but I honestly can’t. I haven’t given up all together, but some days are better then others. So today I decided to take you on the trip with me so that I couldn’t skip out.

I park on the second floor of the parking garage so our journey begins here.

Starting out pretty smooth, not breathing hard yet and at a good pace.

Okay, now I am getting ... a little winded, whoo!

Slowing down.... almost .... there

5 and.... a 1/2..... Gonna..... gasp..... make it..... heeee

Yay...... gasp...... I made...... gasp ...... it!

Like I said, some days are better than others. I usually start questioning myself as soon as I pull into the parking lot. "Really? Do I need to do it again today?" The answer is yes, I need to do it everyday. I just have to keep reminding myself that I have a long road ahead of me and the more baby steps (no pun intended) I take to lose weight the bigger my loss will be.

Man, I'm lazy some days. I went to bed last night with every intention of getting up and working out this morning. When I woke up, that desire had left me, jumped out the window, and ran down the street. Instead, the thought of "you have to move a sectional and a chair into your house today by yourself. Also, you will be on your feet working for about 4 hours tonight. These count as working out."

Does this count? In all fairness, I did load the sectional (3 pieces) and a large plush chair into a truck, drive it to my house, unload all of it, and carry it into my basement- all alone. My heart rate did get raised a bit, and my back feels a bit strained. Also, I will be on my feet for several hours tonight, sweating.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Well, I’m 29 today and even though I’m a little weirded out by it, I’m still pretty excited to see what my 30’s will bring. I managed to make it through my 20’s still married (and still in love, awwwe) no kids (but planning to soon someday), a little over weight (but fixing it) with a job, two dogs, a house, great church, great family, and great friends. I’d say that I’m pretty blessed to be where I am today. I have been pretty good so far with my food. Kyle got up with me this morning at 5:00 to make my breakfast that consisted of an egg, wheat toast, and turkey bacon. In the past it would have been either kolaches or biscuits. Then it was off to work, where I surprised my coworkers with the news of my birthday and then Kyle surprised me with a lunch date of looking at an ugly brown couch for the new man cave in the basement and a turkey sandwich from Provisions. It did have white bread on it and I have to admit that it was amazing! One really good side effect of eating actual food for breakfast (instead of a shake) is that I get really full really fast. So I only ate half of the sandwich and tonight for the grand finale is a couple pieces of pizza. Yum!

Oh dear, I think I spoke to soon. As I am typing my boss walks in with a lemon meringue pie from Tippin’s for my birthday and plops it on my desk.

He did get it for me, and it is MY birthday, and it looks REALLY good, and it would be rude of me not to have any, and well… okay, just one little piece.

Oooo, it’s so freaken good. It’s still a little frozen in the middle, and the top is all fluffy and soft and meringue-ish.

Ah man, my stomach is going to kill me after today.

Now I think I’m sick from all the sugar. Did I mention that my husband also surprised me with a few gummy bears and malted milk balls?

I think it’s time for some water to balance out all the sugar I just consumed.

I’d like to thank everyone that has wished me a happy birthday today and thank you to Kyle for always making my birthday special. Love you too honey!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

One unexpected thing that I have started to learn about doing this whole thing is where our food comes from. It all started a couple of months ago when I was watching Food, Inc. It's a movie that exposes the underbelly of where the bulk of the processed, pre-packaged, hormone-laden food we eat comes from. Now, don't hear what I'm NOT saying. I still like Doritos. I still like Mountain Dew. I'm not going to become some hippie type, only eating food that I grew and throwing paint on anyone that has ever raised a caged chicken. However, we have started to be more conscious about what we eat, and where we buy it.

As you may have gathered, we have started buying more stuff at local farmer's markets. Because it is a frozen wasteland in Missouri in February, the choice of locally grown produce is miniscule. From that standpoint, we still buy our onions, peppers, asparagus, etc from Schnuck's (although we do try to at least only buy produce from the U.S.). We have also started buying organic milk, free-range chickens, and organic eggs. The price tag on some of these items is almost overwhelmingly large- Eggs used to cost us about $1.30/dozen, and we are now paying closer to $4.00. Milk used to be $2.69/gallon, and now it is closer to $6.00/gallon. However, since we are eating out much less often, and spending less when we do eat out, we can afford the more expensive, healthier, organic options.

All of this is just to say that I hope you start really thinking about what you put in your body. There's a lot of delicious food out there that just isn't good for you.

Monday, February 8, 2010

This Sunday at church our pastor mentioned how we get tempted or tested all the time by things around us. These tests are meant to build our character. Well I must be one hell of a character, because this cake is sitting in the kitchen right now and I am refusing to eat it. I keep thinking of our weigh in this weekend and how good it felt to actually see the inches go down. Once I reached a certain point in my weight gain I thought it was never coming off. I think I had convinced myself that what I had gained was there to stay and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I now know for sure that is incorrect. Another win I might mention is that I slipped my wedding ring on this weekend. My fingers were cold and wet so it literally slid right past my knuckle. Getting it off last night was a totally different story. Kyle and I saved our day off for Sunday instead of our normal Saturday and we certainly took advantage of the snacks set out for the big game. After a day of mac and cheese, chips and salsa, cookies, wings, and cheese dip my finger had gotten a little swollen. It did come off with some soap and water, but I am still thrilled that I was able to get it on with such ease.

This weekend was great, for the most part. Our weigh-in and measurements on Saturday had both me and Nicole feeling great about things. We had a bit of a "celebratory" dinner on Saturday night, although neither of us took it way out of bounds. Sunday we had Chinese for lunch, and typical Super bowl junk food during the game.

Now it's time to get back to the grind. One thing I cannot do is allow myself to get into a mindset where I think "Wow- last month I did really well. This month I can slack off a bit, and probably do almost as well." Instead, I have to work harder. I have to be more honest. I have to truly try to work out 5 times this week (I don't think I have actually done that since we started). I will still allow myself to have a life, and to enjoy small portions of the foods we love, but I cannot get lazy.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

This morning, we went over to Donna's house to do our monthly weigh-in, and measurements. I was nervous, as I just didn't know if the success I had been seeing was mental, or physical. I'm happy to report the following changes:

Weight from 351 to 338 (I started weighing a week late, so I likely started closer to 355.)

Waist (around belly button): from 62 to 58 3/4.

I'm really happy with these results. The pictures will start showing more changes in months to come, but here are the "before" and "after" for the first month, with me wearing the same shirt:

Before

After

I'm fully confident that, as long as we keep on the healthy program we are on, these pictures will show a slimmer, more healthy dude each month.

I have to give credit first of all to the Lord for giving us the strength to maintain this project. Secondly, I want to thank my family and friends- y'all still continue to encourage us, and we can't do this without you.

Have a great night- tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday, and Cheat day!

****Posted by Nicole

Success! My results aren’t quite as drastic as Kyle’s but we do have different bodies and different goals to attain. I knew that my weight would come off slower than his so I am very pleased with what I have seen in my measurements. Drum roll please....

Weight from 212.6 to 205.5 (if we had started the day before it would have been 214 but oh well)

Waist (around belly button) from 39.5 to 37.5

BMI: 33.29 to 32.21

So there it is! I think that’s a pretty good start. We both had plenty of ups and downs but today’s up will definitely carry me through at least a week or so. I know Kyle said it too, but seriously, we are so blessed by God to have such wonderful friends and family that are helping and encouraging us to keep going. We can’t say it enough, so thank you!

Friday, February 5, 2010

I am so nervous for the weigh in tomorrow morning. I know that I have lost weight; however, a girl’s body is very different from a boy’s body. Once a month we gain at least five pounds in water weight and my friends, that time is now. I don’t feel like I should before a weigh in. Two days ago I would have felt fine and not nervous at all but much can happen in a day. So I ask that you please be gentle with me when I post tomorrow. I will be doing my step aerobics class tonight before I have a ladies night, so hopefully that will help!

Since the inception of this project, Nicole and I have received tons of advice regarding diet and exercise. One of the main differences in how we are individually approaching our fitness comes with our workout regime. Nicole is the type of person that likes to be in a gym doing Pilates classes, and other things. I personally have heard a gym membership referred to as a "fat tax" and don't have one. Instead, I have my own, in-home gym that I laughingly refer to as my "dojo". Hey, every ninja has to have a dojo, right?

I just want to post a few pictures of what I have to work with.

Exhibit A: The exercise bike

Yes, I actually use this thing. From my brief research, this may be the oldest known, continually operating exercise bike on the planet. The speedometer doesn't work, it has one of those timers that you turn to the right postition and it clicks down for you, and you have to manually turn a screw to adjust the tension. Open note to our readers- if anyone has an exercise bike that is newer than this one, we're open to donations or a small purchase price!

Exhibit 2: The dojo

The punching bag has become one of my great workout partners, stress reducers, and also my new nemesis. My boxing workout (provided by my old friend Garrett, whom boxed at Virginia Tech, and is now a Pastor in Texas) goes something like this:

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

A couple posts ago, Kyle mentioned that we had “Creamed” Spinach the other night for dinner. It wasn’t real creamed spinach but a weight watcher recipe that used 1% cottage cheese instead of cream. I do have to say that it was awesome! I loved it! In fact I liked it so much that I ate the rest of it for lunch the next day. So if you agree with Popeye and love you some spinach, try out this recipe.

I’ll post it tonight when I get home. Don’t have the recipe with me right now!

The next time we might add just a tad bit of fennel to it. Earlier this year a friend of ours did a real creamed spinach recipe from Martha Stewart that had a touch of fennel and it was amazing. Also, I couldn’t find 1% cottage cheese at our grocery store so we used fat free and it worked just as good.

Today is the first day that I have actually felt encouraged by the results we have physically gotten from this thing. The notes, texts, emails, calls, and so forth have helped us press on, but up to this point, I have been more frustrated by the sore muscles, headaches, and lack of anything with Buffalo sauce in my life. As you might know, I weigh myself every Wednesday morning. Last week, I hadn't dropped an ounce. This week, I'm 6 lbs below that number. I will post "official" numbers on Saturday when we get our measurements, but I'm happy with my progress so far.

The other thing that I have noticed is that my acid reflux has almost totally gone away. I used to think it had something to do with red wine, and the fatty foods I was eating (it does), but little did I realize how much diet soda affects it. Monday night, I drank a diet Mountain Dew, and almost immediately felt "flared up." I guess all those slow food folks are right- soda isn't good for you!

My hope and prayer is that, as I lose the pounds, my knee problem will go away. Right now, it really sucks to have to wear a brace, and have the first half of my workouts be in pain.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

One of the most rewarding things about doing this project has been hearing about how we have actually inpired other people. I received a text the other day that a friend of mine, I'll call her Peggy (because that's her name), decided against putting down a huge, unhealthy, stuffed sub sandwich because of our plight. The best though has been that my parents have been checking in with us- they have started their own exercise regime, and have been eating healthier. They were glad to report that in the first week, my mom lost 5 lbs, and my dad lost 4. Congratulations!

The other night, I remembered that we had a Weight Watchers cookbook mixed in with about 3 years worth of phone books in our front closet (Don't ask- I don't know why either). It has been a virtual treasure chest of healthy, tasty recipes. I will let Nicole wax eloquent about the "creamed" spinach I made last night- it was awesome!

Our first official weigh-ins, measurements, and picture posting since the beginning is this coming Saturday. I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I knew it would come.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Oh how I love carbs, let me count the ways. Rolls, couscous, risotto, fettuccini, bagels, naan, donuts, crackers, puff pastry, chips….. oh I can go on and on. It’s all so lovely. As Kyle mentioned in the post below, we had a horrible meal made up of all fried foods on Saturday. (our day off from Ninja-fingers) It was one of those meals where my brain and eyes went, ”OOOh, Yesssss!” and my stomach and bum went, “OOOh, NOOOO!” Immediately after I tore into my plate lined with a litany of fried goodness, I felt so gross. My yummy friends have turned their back on me.No longer will I associate egg rolls as a naughty treat because the end result is more naughty then treat. I had to make sure I was drinking enough fluids because the trips to the bathroom were just getting out of hand. Ouch, I think my stomach is still yelling at me. I passed by Jack and the Box this morning on my way to work and instead of thinking, “Mmmm, tacos” I thought “Ugh, fried egg rolls.” BlechI’m not sure if this feeling will last, but I do appreciate it for now. It will be nice to not obsess over what I don’t get to eat, and think about what I will eat to make me feel better. Success!

If you look to the right side of your screen, and scroll down a bit, you will see the "rules" that we are attempting to live by. We feel that these will allow us to be successful in our project. One of the rules is that Saturdays are the day that was can relax on our diets, and eat some of the things that we avoid during the week. I have started to figure out that this is actually a mixed blessing! This last weekend, I went out and got some of Nicole's favorite things, so we could "cheat" with them at lunch and dinner. I got egg rolls, crab rangoons, macaroni and cheese, crab cakes and even a steak. After eating some of this junk for lunch, we both looked at each other, and admitted that the results would not be good. Both of us almost immediately had stomach aches, and had to pull out the Tums. Then, at dinner, I cooked the steak and crab cakes. In the past, we would each eat a huge steak, plus potatoes, salad, beans, and a list of other things for our special meals at home. Now, we split a steak and neither of us finished our half!

It's good to see that our bodies are flushing out the old junk, and starting to get to a point where unhealthy foods really do cause internal problems. This is a whole new mindset for us, and it has been interesting to see the results of our little experiments.

Next week, we'll likely save our Cheat Day for Sunday, as it is the Superbowl (Geaux Saints). Oh Lord, I wonder what Buffalo Chicken Dip will do to me........